This invention relates to a cleaning tool for removing dirt and foreign material from optical fiber connectors to make them clean.
An optical fiber connector has a connecting surface exposed at its end. The optical fiber connector 14 shown in FIG. 1 has optical fiber fixed at the center of a zirconia ceramic ferrule 15, and its connecting surface 16 is polished to a mirror surface. Optical fiber connectors 14 of this configuration are joined with connecting surfaces 16 in mutual opposition to transmit optical signals. If the connecting surfaces are dirty or foreign material is attached to the connecting surfaces when a pair of optical fiber connectors are joined, optical signals cannot be transmitted properly. This is because a dirty surface or foreign particles will block or reflect light in the optical fiber.
To avoid this problem it is necessary to clean the connecting surfaces before joining two optical fiber connectors together. The cleaning tool shown in FIG. 2 has been developed as a tool for cleaning optical fiber connectors (Japanese Patent Application HEI 6-242347, 1994). FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the cleaning tool of FIG. 2 with the case 17 opened. As shown in FIG. 3, cleaning sheet 3 is wound in the form of tape inside the case 17. Cleaning sheet 3 is unwound by operation of a lever 18 provided on the case 17, and this moves cleaning sheet 3 which is exposed in windows 19 through the case 17. Each time the lever 18 is operated, a new portion of cleaning sheet 3 is exposed in the windows 19. Therefore, an optical fiber connector 14 connecting surface 16 can be polished clean by rubbing the connecting surface 16 against the cleaning sheet 3 exposed through the windows 19.
The cleaning tool shown in FIG. 2 is capable of cleaning optical fiber connecting surfaces with the cleaning sheet, but its overall construction is complex and it has the drawback of high manufacturing cost. In addition, because of its bulkiness, it also has the drawback of not being convenient to carry. Further, since the rolled cleaning sheet inside the case of this cleaning tool is moved via a lever, the case cannot be completely sealed-off and it has the drawback that dust and dirt can enter the case and attach to the cleaning sheet. If dirt attaches to the cleaning sheet, it can attach to a connecting surface when the optical fiber connector is rubbed against the cleaning sheet, and disrupt light transmission. In particular, dirt does not attach to the portion of the cleaning sheet which is wound tightly in a roll, but a portion of the cleaning sheet is unwound and exposed within the case for the purpose of transfer and delivery. The cleaning tool has the drawback that dirt easily attaches to this unwound portion of cleaning sheet. Finally, since particulates such as dust and dirt can enter the case when this type of a cleaning tool is used, for example, even if particulates are completely removed during manufacture and shipping of the cleaning tool, dust and dirt attachment cannot be eliminated.
The present invention was developed to further solve these types of problems and drawbacks. Thus it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors which can be manufactured extremely inexpensively in quantity, and also is compact in its entirety allowing it to be carried conveniently. Further, another important object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors which prevents dust and dirt from attaching to the cleaning sheet, and allows optical fiber connector cleaning under ideal conditions.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.
The cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors of the present invention has cleaning sheet layered under the bottom surface of a front plate. A plurality of slit shaped windows are opened through the front plate. A peel-off sheet is attached to the front plate in a manner which seals off the plurality of windows. The cleaning tool is used to clean an optical fiber connecting surface with a cleaning sheet by removing a peel-off sheet to open a sealed off window, and by moving the optical fiber connector inside the opened window.
This configuration of cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors has the feature that it can be manufactured extremely inexpensively in quantity and is compact in its entirety allowing it to be carried conveniently. This type of cleaning tool does not have an overall complex structure, and does not incur the high manufacturing cost of prior art cleaning tools. This cleaning tool uses an extremely simple structure to can clean an optical fiber connecting surface. Consequently, the cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors of the present invention has the feature of being light-weight, compact, and extremely easy to carry, in addition to being capable of in expensive manufacture in quantity.
Further, this configuration of cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors has the feature that it prevents dust and dirt from attaching to the cleaning sheet, and allows optical fiber connector cleaning under Ideal conditions. Each time the cleaning tool described above is used to clean an optical fiber connecting surface, a peel-off sheet Is removed and new cleaning sheet is used. Therefore, unused portions of the cleaning tool remain sealed off, and dust and dirt is reliably prevented from entering the tool and attaching to the cleaning sheet. Namely, a clean-process manufactured state free of particulates can be maintained until the peel-off sheet is removed and the tool is used.
Further, the cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors of the present invention can be configured as a cleaning cartridge with cleaning sheet layered under the bottom surface, and peel-off sheet attached to the top surface of a front plate, which can be attached or detached from a main case. This cleaning tool is used, with a cleaning cartridge attached to the main case, by removing a peel-off sheet to open a sealed window. Next the ferrule region and end surface of an optical fiber connector plug is moved inside the opened window to clean the surface with the cleaning sheet. A cleaning cartridge with all its cleaning regions used is removed from the main case and exchanged for a new one.
Further, in the cleaning tool for optical fiber connectors of the present invention, the main case has a cavity at the attachment surface of the cleaning cartridge, and a cushion sheet is provided in this cavity. When the ferrule region of an optical fiber connector plug is pushed against, and rubbed on the cleaning sheet, the cushion sheet resiliently pushes against the plug end surface. Consequently, this type of cleaning tool can more efficiently clean an optical fiber connector plug ferrule region and end surface.